Thursday, June 30, 2011

'Lounge Lizards' is the fourth LP from Purling Hiss (Mike Polizze, Kiel Everett, Mike Sneeringer) and the band's first release for Mexican Summer featuring blown out, grinding psychedelia with a garage rock wallop. These six new songs are super consistent taking all the best bits of astringent sludge and distortion from bands like Dinosaur Jr and Spacemen 3. Right off the bat from opener "The Hoodoo" pop melodies are laced through the album through crunchy guitars as are the simple and fitting "ooo/ooo" vocals. "Midnight Man" opens with a pulverizing drill aptly summing up what has inspired the sound of the album. Honeyed melodies woven into an onslaught of heavy riffs wailing through six hazy recordings bring a little sweet to go along with the sour on 'Lounge Lizards'. This record is another fine addition to the Mexican Summer cannon and will sound great when killing some time on an afternoon in the sunny months ahead.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Two incredible songs from two amazing bands for FREE! ScionA/V released this 7" as part of a single club series and also put this out as a download so no one gets left out.

Side A features Austin, Texas quartet Hex Dispensers track "Agatha's Antlers", a garage rock inspired punk number boiling over with forceful guitars and boy/girl vocals. It's exactly what you'd expect from the Hex Dispensers which why "Agatha's Antlers" is such a great song.

Side B features radiant pop from King Tuff with a reworked version of 'Hands', which some may recognize from 2006 album 'Mindblow' (Spirit of Orr). Enjoy trying to resist singing "HANDS!! Touching up on me!!!" at inopportune moments.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

In 2006 John Maus started to fly solo after working alongside Ariel Pink and Gary War. Maus composes music in his hometown of Austin, Minnesota while studying towards a PhD in Political Science. Last summer I was introduced to John Maus's music at an unforgettable show at the Serpentine Pavillion space designed by Jean Nouvel. He'd been invited to play by Wolfgang Tillmans to coincide with the photographer's exhibition which featured shots of Maus. The backdrop of a vibrant red space was an apt setting for the show where Maus's charged performance instantly made a believer out of me.

'We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves' is John Maus' third full length album released on Upset the Rhythm in the UK and Domino in the US. John Maus thrives when working within self imposed limitations, utilizing simply drum machines and samples as tools to channel his voice during his explosive performances and recordings. The minimal set up anchors the work as its acts as taste of reality balancing out the world of fantasy he creates. Themes in Maus's work are instantly identifiable, songs about; TV Shows, weather and the solar system, sees John plucking ideas from our everyday life, flipping them on their head and finding harmony between life and magic.

Illuminating opener "Streetlight" sets the tone for the album with ethereal echo laden vocals and soaring angelic synths. The melody has an 80s quality to it like an old school video game -- reminds me of wondering what it'd be like to climb inside the TV screen and start shooting lazer beams (is it just me that wanted to do that as a kid?). Stand out track "Cop Killer" has an anthem feel to it much like 2006's "Rights For Gays" on LP 'Songs'. Elevating closer "Believer" rounds off the album on a high note as Maus adds some humor singing, "/Baby, you and me all across the world/Jackie Chan flashing all across the world/Hulk Hogan flashing all across the world/Baby lets go fly all across the world!". This song best displays how Maus works best with pushing boundaries through restrictions he sets himself. Using speakers, gadgets and microphones the synth pop troubadour falls into the rabbit hole whilst making the listener feel free to dive right in after him. It's strongly encouraged for anyone who gets the opportunity to, go and see him play. This is John Maus's finest album to date and is truly a joy to behold.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

It's here it's here! Russell Walker (Pheromoans/Bomber Jackets/Charcoal Owl) has a new publication on 1994 Editions featuring a collection of poems limited to 100 copies. You can find copies on Amazon and on Savoury Days

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Slug Guts have a new LP coming out on Negative Guest List and will be touring as part of the Hozac Singles Club - Jimi from the band kindly answered some questions for Gilded Gutter to tell us little more about the band and Australia.

Who is in Slug Guts?

JIMI-

JD-.

FALCO-

NICK-

CAMERON J. HAWES-

JOEY-

Have you been in any previous bands? If so, which ones?

This is the first and only band any of us will ever do.

Tell us about Australia, so many amazing bands are from there, is there something in the drinking water?

Australia is geographically so isolated from America and Europe. I think this isolation breeds a history of pretty fucked up and amazing bands. Aus bands worth listening to Blank Realm, Feathers, Circle Pit, Low Life, Whores, Holy Balm, Uv Race, Total Control, Keep on Dancins, Naked on the Vague..

What are the venues and shows like out there?

Some are wild. Some are shit.

Is there anything you would change about the scene in Australia at all?

No, it is just so bloody perfect, love getting two free drinks, promoters refusing to pay the guarantee they agreed to due to damages, security manhandling people in the band. Wouldn’t change a thing.

With the shows being so rough with security manhandling bands - why do you think that is? Is there a lack of understanding towards you/and other bands like you?

It hasn't happened in ages and were essentially isolated incidents that were largely our fault in retrospect.

When did you have that ‘I can do that moment’ and start a band?

When I was 8 and watching the Jerry Lee Lewis tele movie (not the bit where he marries his 13 year old cousin).

I’ve read; “Slug Guts hail from the baron, heat stricken confines of Brisbane, Australia, a town as desolate as it is depressing and suburban”, is that accurate? Do your surroundings inform your sound at all?

I think to a degree but mostly it is intuitive.

Tell me a little bit about 'Praggin' the Cowboy' it's one of my favourite tracks on 'Howlin' Gang'!

It was written by me and JD. The story is about one of our good friends first week in jail. His expectations and the reality of it.

How did your relationship with Sacred Bones come about after having releases on Stained Circles?

Stained Circles closed after doing a lot of really intense work in a short period, I think touring Jay Reatard, Pink Reason and others to Australia as well as putting out a lot of records forced them to put the label on hiatus for a little while. Sacred bones and us began talking and they offered to do the LP. They are an amazing label to be on.

What was the first record you heard that made an impression on you?

When I was 8 or 9, my dad would blast Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St LP and Roy Orbison’s greatest hits LP, the latter struck me as beautifully fragile and sad music.

What records are playing at home right now? Anything you wanna rave about?

Don’t remember the first but I do remember the first time I saw Lucas Abella perform his set where he makes sound through breathing on glass, eating the glass and smashing the glass on his face. This left an impression.

It was wild. We drove from Cleveland to New York…I think in order to make it on time. We were so exhausted, gross and hungry. Brian Turner bought us snacks and beer. Blank Realm were amazing as per usual. I think the set we recorded sounded good but I have only heard it once. The interview we did with Brian was so fucked. Completely our fault though. We were just weren't making sense. I think he asked JD “How is the tour going?” and JD just replied “Puffy Areolas.” Mentally we were a little fragile.

Any other projects on the go you’d like to tell us about? (In or out of Slug Guts)

Joey is also in Kitchens Floor who have an LP coming out on Siltbreeze soon. I also play in HEX.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

California's Liquorball debut album 'Fucks the Sky' released on Blackjack Records in 1992 is a teeth grinding, guttural psych sludge-fest. Longstanding band member Grady Runyon's feral vocals sound as though he was chained up to a crash helmet in a corner of a room frothing at the mouth during these two twenty minute songs. This is the stuff of nightmares.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

I first learned of the Scrotum Poles through Messthetics and until now those compilations seemed to be the only way to acquire their songs. Dulc-i-Tone have stepped in and reissued their 1980 single 'Revelation', a 7" which back in the day the lads handmade and released themselves. The group from Dundee, Scotland called it quits a year later in 1981 but continued careers in the arts. Some went on to play in Pigs are Cute, Synthetic Dreams and Summerbees while, Steve Grimmond became the Director of Music, Art and Cultural Services at Dundee District Council.

If there is a better example of quality over quantity I'd like to see it, in these five tracks you really get your money's worth. Irresistible bedroom pop numbers 'Pick Cat's Eyes Out' and 'Helicopter Honeymoon' feature on the EP. Even on the Messthetics compilations incredibly extensive track lists these two songs outshone the wealth of other bands and their infectious quality leaves you humming their songs long after they're finished. The Scrotum Poles' LoFi recording quality would give the very best acts on Siltbreeze or Woodsist a run for their money making this 7" just as relevant today as it was thirty years ago. Limited to 500 copies!!!